Dell to purchase Quest for $2.4 billion

Dell has today announced that it will be purchasing Quest, a company that provides IT management software for businesses. Dell looks to be stocking up on software solutions in order to differentiate itself from its competitors and add to a growing patent portfolio. The acquisition of Quest means that Dell will be able to expands its software to in systems management, security, data protection, and workspace management.

Dell currently has its own security solutions, such as SonicWALL and Secureworks, but Quest’s One Identity and Access Management software will add on top of those products. Quest’s Performance Monitoring, meanwhile, is said to be one of the best performance monitoring solutions for keeping track of workloads and performance issues.

In addition, Quest has a Windows Server management tool that will fit into Dell’s services, plus Database Management that slots in nicely with enterprise solutions. Dell will swallow up a business close to turning over a billion dollars in annual revenue, and add around 1,500 software sales experts plus 1,300 software developers.

Dell will be paying $28 per share for a total purchase price of $2.4 billion. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year pending customary closing procedures and approval by Quest’s shareholders.